Teaching Abroad!

Last week marked the beginning of my teaching career abroad! I am currently teaching at two different schools, both of which are in Cumbaya, only a few minutes from my University. One school is public and one school is private, so I went into this experience expecting immense disparities in the quality of education students at each school receive. Back in Boston, I found disparities between schools very hard to cope with. Working at the Jackson Mann School in Allston, and then working at the Underwood School in Newton the next day upset me to the point that I had to drag myself out of bed each day to go to the school in Newton. Thankfully, I have learned to cope with these disparities as I've been exposed to more and more schools. I will never be able to lose that pit I feel in my stomach or the occasional lump I feel in my throat when I see children being denied a quality education because of race or class, but I'm focusing more on figuring out what I can do as a teacher to bridge this gap in opportunities. Back to Ecuador...

My classroom is right in front of that gate.

Each morning that I enter the Carlos Aguiler school, 35 energetic five year olds come sprinting at me with their arms wide open. The teacher cannot pronounce my name, so I am known as Marci haha. The group of 35 five to six year olds exclaim, "Marci! Buenos Días Marci!!" as they form a massive group hug that almost knocks me over into the backpack area. It feels great to be greeted this way, and I am glad they enjoy my presence in the classroom. It is not a very easy classroom to work in, because there is very little organization, a lot of chaos, and not much I can do about it all. Handling thirty-five niños is not an easy task, so while the teacher is trying to teach there are often children up and about, wrestling on the floor, or playing with the items she is trying to organize. The kids are so sweet, but they seem to have trouble self-regulating their emotions, and often resort to aggression. The kids are very good at self-soothing after being injured or teased and are much tougher than students in the United States. It is hard because I am so used to being nurturing to kids that are hurt, but I do not want to baby these children, because I know for many of them they need to be tough to survive and fend for themselves. It is difficult because I cannot necessarily teach them to use good manners, to share, to be nice to your classmates, and to sit quietly because there are cultural differences surrounding these values and some of these values are not conducive for living well in the environment that they go home to. From what I have seen, these children are exposed to things students in the United States are not exposed to until they hit puberty. One of my students was stumbling around the classroom, chugging a water bottle, saying in a silly voice "Estoy barachoooo!" or "I am drunk". This is a five year old remember. Again, these children are incredibly sweet (and adorable I must add), and the teacher tries her best with what she has. 

Colegio Menor, the private school, is like a utopia. You need to enter through the main gate by giving the guards some form of identification. Below is what you see as the gates open. 

The school looks like a college campus. It is extensive, filled with green areas, basketball courts, soccer fields, and colorful classroom buildings. The atmosphere is so peaceful and relaxed, yet so under control.

I work in pre-kindergarten, in a classroom called Antisana. The teacher is wonderful, and I feel like I can learn a lot from her. She only has 15 students in her class, and always has at least one teacher helping out. The majority of students are very light skinned, and many have blonde hair. (The class system in Ecuador is extremely stratified, and the color of your skin determines where you fall on the social ladder.) These children are taught entirely in English, using Spanish for instruction only when absolutely necessary. The school is modeled after American schools, so children engage in morning meetings, circle time, centers time, and sing many American songs and poems. I am so glad these children are recieving such a quality education, in a peacful and beatiful environment, filled with so many recsources. At the same time, I am frustrated that you need money to recieve a quality education in this country. In the United States, there exists vast disparities in the quality of education students receive, but at least many parents there can rest assured that they can provide their children with a free public education that will prepare them to succeed.

Here is a video of Colegio Menor if you would like to check it out: http://youtu.be/BmssSDLUSis

Reality

"Stories give people the feeling that there is meaning, that there is ultimately an order lurking behind the incredible confusion of appearances and phenomena that surrounds them... Yet for me I totally reject stories, because for me they only bring out lies... and the biggest lie is that they show coherence where there is none... Stories are impossible, but it's impossible to live without them."   -Wim Wenders 

This week in my film class, we have been exploring this quote throughout our discussion of story, plot, and narration. I've been toying with it in my mind all week, connecting it to my experiences here in Ecuador, considering how difficult it is to convey in words all that I am experiencing. Stories are just a glimpse of reality, only one piece of the giant puzzle that is your life. Stories are impossible, because they never tell the entire truth of what actually occurred. The storyteller picks and chooses which aspects of the story to share, and uses tools like gestures, tone of voice, or demeanor to communicate sentiments that he or she wants you to feel. But as the quote says, we cannot live without stories. How can you answer the question Quién soy yo? (Who am I?) without a story?

It also seems that we have this psychological need for linearity and closure within our stories. How frustrating was it to watch that top spin and not know whether or not it continued to spin at the end of Inception? We also love progress and happy endings. We want to see characters' lives or attitudes improve throughout the course of a movie. My profesor told us today, "Nuestra realidad no es lineal." (Our reality is not linear). He is completely right. As the expression goes, we may take one step forward and then be forced to take ten steps back. Not every aspect of your life will have a Hollywood ending, and not all of your stories will provide closure, but these stories are so important to share- because they are reality. Today, I will share a story of reality. It will not give you closure and does not have a Hollywood ending. As a disclosure, this story is only one piece of an immense and complex story, as it is just from my perspective. I am sorry that this is not a story of happiness, adventure, or self-discovery, but it something that cannot be overlooked... and again, it is reality.

The Reality of Everyday Life for Many People in Ecuador: 

The doors to the red bus open and I step inside, clutching my things so that they are always where I can see them. A short old woman, who only stands as tall as my waist, grips her cane tightly as she limps around the bus. This women approaches each individual on the bus, repeating the same words over and over again in an exhausted voice. In Spanish, the words sound like a song, but in English, they translate to something along the lines of "Sorry to bother you, but please be kind enough to give me a small donation." I've encountered this woman many times on my commute to school, and she always chants the same exact words. How tiring and degrading must it be for her to do this every day of her life? There are many others like her, who tell stories that will break your heart. These stories may be fictional or filled with elaboration, but the fact that these individuals need to spend their day on the bus, begging for money says something about their true story. One woman that I remember well told the bus about a medical condition she suffers from, closing with, "The quantity is not important to me. Whatever amount will warm my heart and help my suffering."

Once I transfer onto the green bus, I am prepared for all sorts of vendors to jump onto the bus and attempt to sell their goods. Goods range from fruit, empañadas, cookbooks, items related to religion, natural laxatives, jewelry, and the list goes on and on. These people literally jump from bus to bus all day, trying to sell these goods, reciting the same words all day. As we progress through traffic, it's common to see people juggling fire and performing some other spectacle in the middle of chaotic traffic. These people perform with the hope that those watching from their cars will throw some change their way. I've seen an old man, with no legs, maneuvering through traffic in his wheelchair, hoping for some money. This weekend, I saw a man with no hands, approaching cars and asking for donations. On my drive to the university, I have also noticed garbage men sitting amongst the garbage in the back of the trucks. Once I arrive at my university, I can always expect to see this one woman, sitting on the curb, holding her infant and attempting to sell lottery tickets. A few feet away from her, at the exit of a bank called Banco Pinchincha, sits an old man who holds his hand out, hoping for change. For people who live in Ecuador, these encounters come as no surprise, as it is an aspect of life that they have grown accustomed to. For myself and others new to this environment, this reality is hard to accept and cope with. Going out at night, and seeing children on the streets, shining shoes, selling items, or asking for donations is not something you can easily look past. Unfortunately for these people, reality is not progress or closure. Their lives do not improve in a linear fashion. Their days do not close with a Hollywood ending. No protagonist is there to save them from hunger, poverty, rejection, or suffering. This is their story, from my eyes, which again may see the story differently than other eyes. 

First Full Week of School

I am so pleased to say that I successfully made it through my first full week of classes at USFQ! :) Drop add period officially ended today, so now my schedule is permanent. More and more aspects of my life here in Quito are becoming solidified, and I love the way it feels. Hopefully within the next few days I learn more about my Pre-Practicum placement at Colegio Menor, a private PreK-12 school affiliated with the University. I'm also waiting to learn which public school I will be working at for my volunteer placement. I'm looking forward to examining the disparities between the two forms of education here in Ecuador, and also gaining some pedagogical strategies that I have not yet been exposed to in my teaching experiences in the U.S. Colegio Menor is a bilingual school, so the students will know English, but it should be interesting using my Spanish in the public school!

Back to my classes... here's a description of how each of them are going so far.

Introducción al Cine (Introduction to Film): This class is so different than any class I have taken before. Its a tiny class of about 17 students, composed of film majors and gringos... what a mix haha. Our teacher speaks very clear Spanish, has a great sense of humor, and gives off a very relaxed vibe. Each class, we watch interesting films or clips. Thus far, we have watched clips of some underground Ecuadorian films (including soft core pornography... which came as a bit of a surprise) and some short films produced by students at the University. We also watch movies outside of class each week (even some American films such as Fight Club and Moulin Rouge). This week, we were assigned the movie, Amores Perros (Amor: love, perro: dog). MacKenna and I brilliantly thought we were going to be watching a heartwarming movie about dog lovers or a relationship between a human and a dog. When we arrived to the movie store by the University, we were quite shocked when the quirky man handed us the movie. A more accurate translation of Amores Perros is actually "Love is a bitch" or "A miserable love". The cover was dark and violent, depicting a great deal of suffering. We asked the man if the movie was sad or scary in Spanish, and he insisted on replying in English. He excalimed, "No... no. The ending.... the ending is CHAMPAGNE CRAZY!!!!" MacKenna and I walked out of the store in tears from laughing so hard. The movie itself did turn out to be "champagne crazy". I'm looking forward to this weekly ritual of visiting the champagne crazy movie man and watching these films with Mackenna.

Español Avanzado (Advanced Spanish): I'm so glad I am taking this course. Our classroom is pretty much on a rooftop and is shaped like a school bus. Our teacher, who is from Cuba, is so sweet and funny.  She understands that we are all gringos trying to navigate through a world of Spanish everyday. I feel like this class will definitely be a great supplement to the practice I get using Spanish each day.

Género y Sociedad (Gender and Society): My teacher, Angelica, is wonderful. There are only three of us gringos in the class of 25, but she makes the atmosphere very relaxed. She starts discussions about topics such as Sexism, Feminism, and Machismo and then the whole class is able to chime in with questions and comments. It's really thought provoking and a great way to learn more about gender roles in the Ecuadorian culture.

Cultura & Civilización Iberoamerica: This class is taught by Amanda, our program coordinator, and consists of all BC students. So far, the readings have been a bit challenging. It's all about the history of Ecuador, dating back to time before Christ. I'm constantly using my Spanish-English dictionary while reading over thirty pages of this dense material. Thankfully, Amanda is very understanding and does not want us to be overwhelmed, so hopefully this reading is not a problem.

Sicología Parvularia (Applied Child Psychology): I just switched into this class so I can't say much about it, but it ties together Psychology and Education in a way that fits my major perfectly. Some of the assignments involve reflecting on observations made while working in the Colegio Menor school, which will be helpful for my Practicum.

Extracurricular Activities: After class today, the BC group played Kings at this restaurant called the Empanada Factory. It was so fun to just sit back, laugh, and relax while buying the restaurant out of Pilseners. I love how laid back things are here. Students here work hard on campus, but they definitely are encouraged to play and relax too! We'll see how I feel once the homework and assignments start piling up, but for right now, I am one happy gringa! :)

Lost in Translation

Speaking and comprehending Spanish is mentally exhausting. It really takes so much energy to formulate coherent sentences and attempt to understand everyone around you. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to become fluent, but wow is it hard! Not only is it hard to express your personality and gratitude, but its also so hard to get things done! Whether it's adding minutes to my movistar phone (which looks like it was made in the year 2000... my brothers and their friends call it my iPhone5), trying to buy books at the bookstore, or explaining directions to a taxi driver in a city I have lived in for less than two weeks... it is a process and a half to say the least. The other gringos and I have learned to laugh at how much we struggle with the language barrier on a day to day basis. Here are a few of my favorite "Lost In Translation" stories that have occurred thus far.

Lost in Translation: The Tale of 19 Gringos in Ecuador
1.) One gringa learned the hard way that telling your hostmom that you are "embarazada" does not mean that you are embarrassed... it instead means that you are in fact pregnant.

2.) A few gringas went out to the cine (movie theater) to see an American movie that would remind them of home. They were excited when they saw a movie titled, La Ultima Noche (The Last Night), because they assumed this was the new movie, New Year's Eve starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, and Ashton Kutcher. Since New Year's Eve is the last night of the year, they assumed that the translation was fitting. They found themselves in a horror moving, involving a bloody woman with large breasts and the end of the world. Who would've figured?

3.) I was about to a shower and Myra told me that we had no hot water because she turned on a key in the kitchen to use the stove. I thought she was telling me to bring my house key upstairs to the kitchen, so I got dressed, rushed upstairs with my purse and handed her my key... she was very confused.

4.) Understanding Spanish when you first wake up is a struggle. My hostmom Lily told me at breakfast that I was going somewhere with my hostbrother, but I had no clue where. I figured we were going to the store or to pick something up. When she told me to wear a winter jacket, I was very confused, but I figured I'd just put one on and jump in the car. In the car, I learned that I was going to the TelefériQo- which is 4,100 meters high and entails venturing up the slope of Volcan Pinchicha in a gondola and exploring the landscape at the top. I was thrilled, but so embarrassed that I had no clue where we were going. I was also wearing heeled boots as I hiked up the steep hills at the top... whoops!

5.) Our program coordinator Amanda tells us to speak Spanish to each other when we are on the bus so we appear to be more experienced and knowledgeable. A few of us grinas were reflecting on this aspect of our days and realized how ridiculous we must sound. Sometimes we make up words and false cognates, forming our own form of Spanglish that only gringos would understand. Conjugating verbs can also be a challenge, so we'll often find ourselves exclaiming phrases such as, "Tengo un buen día!, which translates to "I have a good day!" instead of "Tenga un buen día!"meaning "Have a good day!".

6.) Those awkward moments when you nod your head, smile, and say Si! when everyone at the table is expecting you to answer an open ended question that you did not understand one word of.

7.) Not only is our Spanish a struggle, but now our English is becoming intertwined with our Spanish in perplexing and embarrasing ways. Instead of saying her son or Marys house, I find myself saying the son of Myra and the house of Mary. I asked MacKenna which one of my shirts looked "more better" the other day. My friend Mary and I often find ourselves speaking English in our attempt at a Spanish accent. I think our minds are exhausted from translating and focusing on language. Hopefully this epidemic dissipates once we get more accustomed to the influx of Spanish!

Ahaha you have to laugh at yourself sometimes! Stay tuned for more stories of Lost in Translation! :)

First Days at USFQ and Awkward Moments

Wednesday was pretty much the first day of freshmen year all over again- except this time around all of my professors and the majority of my peers would be speaking Spanish. I forgot how it felt to worry about navigating around campus, making new friends, and being able to communicate with professors. Thankfully I only had two classes, one of which is with all BC students, so I felt a little more relaxed. I woke up ready to begin my day, got in the shower and.... no hot water once again haha. If you can recall, not being able to shower before your first day of freshmen year would have been quite traumatic. All of the sudden there was a knock on my bathroom door. Myra, our family's empleada, appeared with a blue bucket of hot, steaming water. I was so excited that I wanted to hug her... until confusion set in as I wondered how I would use this bucket to shower. She handed me another tiny bucket that I used to scoop up the water from the blue bucket and pour on myself. Let's just say it was the most awkward shower I've ever taken, but it was actually kind of fun haha.

I jumped on the red bus, which finally took me to the green bus, and from there I chose a seat. A petite girl that looked about my age asked me if she could sit next to me. We started chatting and I learned that her name was Luz Alexa (I thought it was a good sign that her name means "Light" and her second name was so close to my last name). She's a freshmen at La Universidad San Francisco (the school I attend) and was anxious about taking a driving class. In that short bus ride we bonded a lot. She made me feel more at ease about my first day, and even volunteered to take me to my first class. When we arrived on campus, I saw groups of stylish students laying by the lake, cuddling on the stairs, and laughing under the shade of tropical trees. I immediately feel in love with the ambiance and atmosphere of the school. Luz Alexa then took me to my class in the DiVinci building, which is a deep reddish orange color and really intricate inside. I was about twenty minutes early, which in Ecuadorian time is a bit ridiculous, so Luz showed me the library, and then took me to the lake to meet her friends. They were all so sweet to me, even offering me fruit and asking me questions about Boston College. I'm so thankful for Luz Alexa, who went out of her way to make a stranger feel comfortable in a new environment.

My first class, Genero y Sociedad (Gender and Society), went very well. The teacher speaks very clear Spanish and the class seems so interesting. I'm nervous about giving an oral presentation on Gender & Ethnicity in Spanish, but what do I have to lose? After explaining the syllabus, the professor asked the class if there were any questions. One student raised his hand and asked in Spanish "If I open the window, can I smoke during class?" She of course said no, but it was interesting to see how much more casual things are at this university.

Next I had Amanda's class (our program coordinator). We didn't start the course, but instead talked about how our first day went and shared scheduling concerns with Amanda. We're really lucky that she cares so much about our well being here! Once we were done classes, some of us gringos went to eat crepes (burrito crepes- yum!). Then MacKenna & I attempted to lay on the bamboo hammocks (which was a struggle to say the least haha they will take some practice). All in all it was an excellent day. Thursday and Friday also went well... so far so good.

The Beginning of My Relationship with Ecuador

Today marks the beginning of my second week here in Quito, Ecuador. It all still feels so surreal. This morning, my family's maid (In Spanish, empleada: she's not a servant nor is she disrespected, my family considers her a part of the family and appreciates how hard she works) told me that she would take my large suitcases upstairs to a closet if I emptied them. I think that I was subconsciously hesitant to remove my suitcases because it would make my stay here seem so much more permanent. I felt reassured when I let go of my suitcases and thankfully had no separation anxiety ;). I'm so happy here and am so proud that I've pushed myself out of my comfort zone (thanks to the support of so many of you!).

I don't want to bore you nor overwhelm you with the little details of each day that I've spent here (although they all have been quite interesting!). Instead, I'd like to begin by sharing with you all my developing relationship with Ecuador. I really think that you should treat places like people (An Ecuadorian artist that we learned about, Guayasamín, used people to portray places in his paintings. Check him out! His art is really eye opening to all of the injustices and human suffering in our world). You do not put two people next to one another, sizing them up and comparing them. Instead, you learn about each person individually- their strengths, flaws, hopes, and fears- and you learn to love certain things about them and learn to interact accordingly depending on their flaws. For this reason, I am going to try my best not to compare Ecuador to the United States, but rather describe and learn to love and adapt to Ecuador's treasures and idiosyncrasies without making too many comparisons.

Things I Love About Ecuador 
(In no particular order)


1.) The Concept of Time: People in Ecuador consider time in the present and the past, rather than the future. Their concept of time is like the waves of the ocean. It moves forward to the present and then cycles backwards towards the past. If you notice, there is only one future tense in Spanish, but multiple past tenses. People here live in the present and do not worry much about deadlines or plans for the future. They look towards the past because it reminds them of who they are. You may notice that many Ecuadorians have very long names and a multitude of last names. This is because they consider their past and ancestors as important. If you tell an Ecuadorian to be at a restaurant at 7:30, they will probably arrive around 9. If you tell them to arrive at 7:23, they probably will have no idea that a clock has the capability of displaying 23 minutes past. People here are more relaxed in the present and are in no rush to go towards the future. Professors are often late, people don't arrive early for classes, and there is no bus schedule. For a gringa who is used to meeting deadlines and rushing to be on time, this relaxed atmosphere is quite nice.

2.) The Food/ La Comida: The food here is incredible! My breakfast usually consists of delicious bread (the bread always smells and even tastes like its fresh out of the bakery) with sweet jam, freshly made fruit juice such as jugo de mora (blackberry) or guanabana, and some corn flakes (a little taste of America). Lunch is massive. You usually have soup with a meal that consists of many courses. People put popcorn in their soup, and it is actually delicious! Dinner is very small but very rich and yummy as well. As delicious as the food is, I think I have lost some weight in the short time I have been here because dinners are so small (because the high altitude makes digestion slow), we don't snack often, the food has less preservatives, and servings are tinier. I'm not sure if I will be daring enough to try cuy (guinea pig), but when my brothers told me that I was eating monkey meat during my second night here, I politely continued eating the dinner. They of course were tricking me and I was super gullible!

3.) The Way Men and Women Interact: I have a love/hate relationship with this aspect of the culture.  What I love about this is how gentlemen-like the men act here. My brothers and their friends open car doors for me, pull out my chairs, always let me walk ahead of them, and help me out of cars. They look out for their mothers and sisters a lot, which is really beautiful to see. They are also very protective of me and the other gringas when we go out, which is very comforting in the midst of the chaos of nightlife of Quito. Machismo refers to the form of macho masculinity that defines much of the male behavior here. What I hate about Machismo is how some men marginalize women, look at them as inferior, and disrespect them in overt and more discrete ways.

4.) Affection: People here are very touchy feeling here. Every time you greet someone, you better put your hand away because you will not be partaking in any hand shakes. Everyone kisses on the cheek when saying hi and bye. Personal space is not considered. You often find yourself talking to others with little distance between you. Guys here are also very affectionate towards their guy friends. They aren't afraid to give them huge, long hugs or kisses on the cheek. It's actually kind of beautiful to see. My brother and his friends love each other so much, seem so loyal to one another, and genuinely glow in each other's presence. This openness really enhances their friendship. When my brother Juan Pablo returned to Miami on Sunday (que triste! how sad!), all of his friends came over for Sunday lunch. They hugged and hugged and it appeared as if one of his friends was going to cry as Juan Pablo left to return to his home in the United States. I really admire their friendships and think we should be more openly affectionate with our friends in the U.S.

5.) La Belleza, The Beauty: Everywhere you look in Ecuador, you will find something beautiful. Whether it is a group of colorful houses amongst the picturesque Mount Pinchincha volcano or a street vendor selling gorgeous bouquets of flowers on the street. Although the public transportation is far from appealing, this morning there was a woman singing on the bus for money. Her voice was so raw and full of emotion, it was really moving. Even my University is gorgeous. There is a lake in the center of campus that students tan by, bamboo hammocks to relax on in a shaded area, tropical plants and trees, colorful buildings (my favorite is bright purple!), and an Asian building used for meditation classes. I'm so excited to explore more of the beauty of Ecuador!